Bookrack



M. G. MARKHAM.

BOOK RACK.

APPucAT'loN FILED MAY 17. 1920.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

M, G. MARKHAM.

BOOKHACK.

v APPLICATION FILED MAY Il. 1920..

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

2 S HEETS-SHEET 2- ATTORNEY PATENT OFFICE.

Meantime. MARKHAM, or ALMA, MICHIGAN.

BOOKRACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed May 17, 1920. Serial No. 381,948.

To all fui/wm 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MUR'rYN Gr. MAnK- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alma, in the county of Gratiot and State ot Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bookracks, of which the following is a specification.

An object of this invention is the production oi: a supporting rack for books in which slidable members are employed for contacting with the books on the rack for effectively sustaining said books on said rack.

A turther object is the production of a book rack which is of a collapsible nature, easily knocked down or set up, and wherein one or a plurality of books may be etlectively clamped on the rack.

A further object is the production of a book rack of a simple, cheap, and etficient nature.

T he foregoing objects, and others which will appear as the nature ot the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement ot` part-s, such as is disclosed by the drawings.

ln the drawings z- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a book rack constructed in accordance with this invention. i

l? ig. l is a transverse sectional view in a line with one of the book clamping plates..

Fig. B is an approximately central vertical longitudinal sectional view through'the improvement. y

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the l end members of the base.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of one of the side members of the base.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the book enaging or clamping plates.

T he end members of the base of my improved book rack are each of a similar construction and each comprises a substantially rectangular plate l. The plates 1, adjacent to their upper corners are notched as at 2. The side members of the base are of a similar Jformation and are each in the .nature of a rail 3. Each rail 3, adjacent to its outer end is widened from one of its edges as at 4, and each of the said widened portions is notched as at 5. The notches 5 are designed to be received in the notches 2 of the end members l, and the opposite walls provided by the respective notches are designed for contacting engagement with the opposite faces of the end members and rails. The inner walls provided by the coengaging notched portions ot the end rails, oi' course contact with each other. By this arrangement it will be seen that while the base is of a knock down construction, the same, when set up will be sustained in a strong and efiicient manner.

Slidable on the rails 3, between the ends l are the book engaging or clamping members 6. These members are each in the nature of a substantially4 rectangular plate, each of the said plates being notched, as at 7, from its ends, and the notched portions of the clamping plate 6 receiving the rails 3. The engagement between the walls of the notches 7 and the surface of the rails with which they contact may exert a suticient friction between such contacting portions as to prevent the free sliding of the clamping plates on the rails, but, oi course, the notches may be of such size and shape to permit of a slight 'tilting or canting ot' the clamping plates on the rails. In either event the clamping plates will effectively hold there1 between a book cr a number of books that rest on the rails ci. the base.

The device may be constructed of any desired material, and may be ornamented. The clamping plates may be inserted on the rails by irst arranging the same longitudinally between the rails and then turning the said clamping plates so that their notched portions V7 will receive the rails 3, and when so positioned the clamping plates will be disposed ata righ-t angle with respect to the longitudinal plane of the base of the rails 3. The clamping plates may bel removed by simply reversing this operation. When collapsed, the book rack is made into a small compact bundle so that the same can be conveniently shipped or stored, and it is thought that Vthe foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will amply set forth the construction and advantages of the improvement.` t

Having hus described the invention, What I claim is Y A collapsible book rack com rising a base constitntizg notched ends and `rails which lare notched adjacent to their ends, -and the notched portions of the rails `designed to be:

received in the notched portions of theends, said rails being widened at the notched portions thereof, clamping plates slidable on the rails, each of said plates having its ends notched, and each of said notches receiving therein y,one of the rails'. r V n n MURTYN G. MARKHAM. 

